From The Youth

Statistics

There are multiple misconceptions and a lack of knowledge about substance misuse, so our youth leaders have compiled a list of links of statistics relating to substance misuse you may or may not be aware of. The reason that we emphasize this data is because they are more than just numbers, each statistic represents real people and real experiences:

“This is in response to increasing overdoses in Franklin County where overdose deaths climbed 47 percent in 2020 to more than 800 deaths.” (https://adamhfranklin.org/naloxbox-partnership/)

“Among the 133.1 million current alcohol users aged 12 or older in 2021, 60.0 million people (or 45.1%) were past month binge drinkers.” (https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/atod)

“Among past month users of nicotine products, nearly two thirds of adolescents aged 12 to 17 (63.1%) vaped nicotine.” (https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/atod)

“Early (aged 12 to 14) to late (aged 15 to 17) adolescence is generally regarded as a critical risk period for the initiation of alcohol use with multiple studies showing associations between age at first alcohol use and the occurrence of alcohol abuse or dependence” (https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/WebFiles_TEDS_SR142_AgeatInit_07-10-14/TEDS-SR142-AgeatInit-2014.pdf)

“25.6% of 8th graders have abused alcohol at least once.” (https://drugabusestatistics.org/teen-drug-use/)

“61.5% of teens have abused alcohol by 12th grade.” (https://drugabusestatistics.org/teen-drug-use/)

Jerome Teen Institute Pancake Meeting

The leaders of Teen Institute at Jerome had their pancake breakfast meeting on February 22nd. Here is the link to a Tiktok-style interview that they made during the meeting! https://www.instagram.com/reel/CpgEE1kj7xV/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

MIDDLE SCHOOL VISITS

Our ACT Council members have been visiting the Dublin middle schools, educating students about the harmful effects of alcohol and substances through fun activities such as escape rooms and poster making. Thank you middle schoolers for being so welcoming and engaged!

ACT Youth Council 2022-2023

ACT membership has gained about 20 new members since the peak of the pandemic (2019-2021)! With this increased participation we have more opportunities to spread awareness, creating impactful changes in our schools and community.

Additional Information on Substance Abuse

Abby Collier | Speech Winner

Abby Collier was the 2020 winner of the first ever We Are The Majority Rally Speech Contest!

When asked to give a preview of her speech, Abby said, “My speech is about how much of an impact my dad being a police officer has made on myself. I share why I have learned how important it is to live a healthy lifestyle and the consequences of not doing so.”

In her own words, here’s a little bit more about Abby, a seventeen-year-old junior at Dublin Coffman High School:

“I am an ambassador for Dublin ACT Youth Council, (ACT stands for Adolescents and Community Together) this group promotes the drug and alcohol free lifestyle among their peers. I have been involved in this group for three years now and have been an ambassador (a leadership position) for two of those three years…For Dublin ACT, I lead a committee which focuses on educating the parents in the Dublin community about the dangers of drugs and alcohol, and how parents can be involved in their children’s lives regarding substance use. Being a part of this organization and being able to see how much of an impact this group makes has been a very rewarding experience.”

Take time to learn more about the group on this website link.

Congratulations to the Dublin ACT Youth Council!

Congratulations to the Dublin ACT Youth Council for being awarded the 2019 ADAPAO Prevention Organization of the Year Award for exemplary efforts to employ dialogue, education, networking, and advocacy to champion prevention.

The ADAPAO Youth Prevention Awards honor excellence in and commitment to prevention in Ohio among young people and youth-engaged organizations in our state.

Members of ADAPAO, the statewide membership association championing prevention in Ohio, nominate youth who are engaged in prevention in their communities and around the state, as well as organizations engaged in youth prevention.

The ADAPAO Awards were presented to Dublin ACT Youth Council and the other honorees at the ADAPAO Social & Prevention Showcase, on Sunday, October 6, 2019.

Dublin ACT Youth Council

The purpose of the Dublin ACT Youth Council is to give Dublin youth a voice in the community regarding prevention of underage drinking and other drug use initiatives. This group is also responsible for developing and initiating their own youth-driven community projects to combat underage drinking and other drug use including the misuse and abuse of prescription drugs and marijuana. The Youth Council is comprised of a diverse group of community youth that provide leadership training and evidence based prevention strategies to guide members in accomplishing their goals.